The present invention relates to a timing system and method using video images to determine the time an object crosses a predetermined point or line.
Various systems for timing participants in a race and vehicles passing under a toll system are known.
Race events often employ RFID systems for recording the time that participants cross the finish line. However, RFID systems have their drawbacks: they are expensive, complicated to set up; and not suitable for all events (such as canoeing).
Horse racing has adopted image recording technology. A camera is setup in-line with the finish line and a line corresponding with the finish line is superimposed on the image. Time keepers use these images to determine the frame (and therefore the time) in which each horse crosses the finish line. However, the time keepers must then manually identify each horse and assign a finishing time to it.
Movement recording systems using glyphs are common in vehicle management systems. Glyphs attached to cars are picked up by cameras and the fact that the cars have passed a certain point is recorded. However, such systems do not accurately record the time that the glyph (or an object associated with the glyph) passes a predetermined point or line.
The timing system and method according to the present invention aims to address these drawbacks by determining and recording when glyphs (or objects associated with the glyphs) pass a virtual line. Furthermore, the present invention improves the accuracy of determining when glyphs (or objects associated with the glyphs) pass a virtual line by calculating the average acceleration of the glyphs (or objects associated with the glyphs) in the vicinity of the virtual line and using such average acceleration to determine the time that the glyphs (or objects associated with the glyphs) passes the virtual line.